New Delhi

Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday paid homage at the National War Memorial, where he laid a wreath and inspected a Guard of Honour during his official visit to India.

Crosetto later met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Manekshaw Centre, where the two leaders are set to hold bilateral discussions aimed at strengthening defence ties between the two countries.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the talks will cover a wide range of issues related to defence cooperation, along with an exchange of views on regional and global security challenges amid a changing geopolitical landscape.

The ministry noted that defence engagement between India and Italy has gathered pace since Rajnath Singh’s visit to Rome in October 2023. Crosetto’s first official trip to India reflects a shared intent to deepen existing collaboration and explore new opportunities, particularly in the defence industrial sector.

The statement also highlighted that the India-European Union Defence and Strategic Partnership signed in January 2026 has further boosted cooperation, especially in areas of mutual interest within the defence industry.

Over the years, India-Italy defence relations have broadened to include institutional dialogue, service-level exchanges, training, defence exports, information sharing, port visits, naval exercises, and maritime security cooperation. An agreement on defence cooperation was also concluded following bilateral talks during Singh’s visit to Italy in 2023.

Earlier this year, India and the European Union formalised a comprehensive Security and Defence Partnership, marking their first overarching framework in this domain. The agreement aims to enhance collaboration in maritime security, defence technology and industry, countering cyber and hybrid threats, space cooperation, counterterrorism, and other strategic areas.

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The partnership was welcomed during the 16th India-EU Summit, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.